Kittens in the backyard

A few weeks ago, we found a new little family in our backyard.  I would like to proudly introduce The Kittens.

(I would like to apologize for the poor quality of these pictures.  I was taking them not only through a glass sliding door, but a screened in porch as well.)

Ummm... yeah.  I'm in love.

But I'm not really sure what to do with them.  Andre suggested calling Animal Control, but I'm afraid they'll be killed if they go to a shelter.  The kittens might stand a chance of getting adopted, but there's no way Mama would.

There is a lady that Andre knows who said she would be willing to adopt them out, but then comes the challenge of catching them.  I feel like my best chance is trying to lure them to me with food, but they're shy and timid.  I'm half afraid I could sit out there all day with no luck.

I'm trying to get my mom to adopt one because I know for sure that one would get a good home.  (And I'd get visitation rights.)  I'd adopt all of them, but Andre nixed that idea before I even had the chance to voice it.  He's incredibly unfair.

(That white and gray one?  That's my favorite one just because he (she?) is just too cute!)

Mama is still with them right now, but I feel like they're getting big enough that they might strike out on their own soon, and I'll miss my window of opportunity.  But then, I'm also afraid if I take them too soon, they'll be scarred for the rest of their kitty lives.

Do you see what it's like inside my head?  It's a mess.

Most people would say they're not actually a pet like Callie, but they chose our backyard to live, which means I do feel some responsibility to make sure they happy, healthy and safe.  So right now, I consider these babies my newest pets (and you have no idea how bad I want to snuggle these babies right now).

Things I don't understand

Why does FedEx leave a sticker on the box that says they delivered your package?  Don't you think that since the package is at my front door, I kinda know it's been delivered?  And if someone steals it, I highly doubt they're going to take the sticker off the box and leave it behind.  The sticker seems pretty pointless.

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What do people have against crosswalks?  I see people every single day that can't walk an extra few feet down to a crosswalk to cross the road.  Are they really that lazy?

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Where does wax go when you burn a candle?  When you melt an ice cube you get a puddle.  When you burn paper you get ash.  What the heck happens to wax?

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You cannot please a neurotic cat

The past few nights, usually at some insane hour, Callie has started to meow and whine.  I have a feeling she's probably bored and figures if the humans are awake, they'll pay attention to her.  Ergo, let's wake the humans!

Before we moved in with Andre, she had the opportunity to sit at a window and watch the world go by.  When you're confined inside for your whole existence, I'm sure the opportunity to see what's going on in the world is appreciated.

Since moving, we didn't really have a good spot for her to do that.  I decided to try to get the perfect spot in hopes that she wouldn't be bored.  Plus, you know, I would really like to sleep without interruption.

I pulled her cat condo from the living room and put it in front of the sliding glass door so she could sit up there and look out over her kingdom like the queen she thinks she is.

I picked her up and put her on it, expecting her to immediately be engrossed with watching what was going on outside, but instead she hopped right down and walked away.  Fine, Callie.  You know it's there and if you're interested, you'll come back.

Right before I was getting ready to leave for work, I walked by where her cat condo used to be and saw this:

(Side note: Yes, I still have a lot of wedding stuff to clean up and put away.  Sometimes, I feel like by the time I find the time to put everything away, we'll be celebrating our 25th anniversary.)

OK, back on track.  Honestly, at this point, I'm not sure if she's saying, "Human, there used to be something here that I enjoyed.  You moved it.  Bring it back." OR "Human, I am pleased you made a spot for me in all your junk.  This is my new favorite spot and you better not do anything to take it away or you will pay.  Dearly."

With Callie, it really could go either way.  But as of right now, she has no interest in settling down on her cat condo to check out the great outdoors.  Which means more wake up calls at 3 in the freakin morning.

A holiday and a birthday

Over the weekend we celebrated Mother's Day and today we're celebrating my mom's birthday, so I have to take a moment to send out a very big HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!  Ahem.  Now that I got that off my chest...

On Sunday, I asked Callie what she got me for Mother's Day and this is the response I got.

OK.  Thanks Callie.  I love you too.  And you're welcome for feeding you, cleaning up after you, and making sure you're healthy for all these years.  You know, like moms do.

One thing I've said a million times before and I'll continue to say a million times again is that I love the people I "meet" through blogging.  I find and learn things I never would have if not for blogging.

For my mom's birthday, I bought her a pair of earrings I found at Bev's Linkouture store.  I never would have found these earrings if I wasn't blogging, and I think they're absolutely adorable.

Now, I'm relaxing with a glass of wine, strawberries and chocolate.

Is there a better way to wind down after celebrating two holidays?  I don't think so.

Remember when the Internet was invented?

Hello, my name is Kristen, and I have a confession to make: I'm addicted to the Internet.

Given the opportunity, I could waste hours, if not days, just surfing around.  Never really doing much at all.  Just reading articles here, playing games there.  Watching videos and laughing at pictures.  And don't even get me started on social media.  Have mercy.  I need a 12 step program on that for sure.

Do you remember when the Internet first started to roll out into homes?  I actually do.

I remember our old Macintosh II out in the family room.  I remember that box of a modem that made all those horrible beeps and squeals as it was connecting.  You know what I'm talking about.  You remember the sound of a modem connecting to the Internet.  I remember my dad sitting out there with me and explaining what the Internet was and how to use it.

photographer: Alexander Schaelss source: Wikimedia Commons

The very first website I went to?  SAILOR.  It was a service of my state's public library.  The second site I went to?  Discovery.com.  Yeah, once a nerd, always a nerd. 

Then, throughout middle school and high school I used to spend time in chat rooms.  Back then, it was innocent fun.  But if I had a child today?  No way would they be talking to complete strangers in chat rooms.  It's kind of sad how quickly us human beings can turn something clean into something threatening in just a few years.

Today, I sit here with my sleek, little MacBook Pro in my lap and marvel at how far we've come.  I try to imagine what's next and I can't.  I just can't seem to wrap my head around the idea that there's something bigger and better out there waiting to hit the world.

Can you imagine sitting down with your grandchildren and reminiscing about the good ol' days when there were these sites called Facebook and Twitter, and you used to spend hours on them?  They'll stare at you like you've just grown a horn and four eyes because they can't even comprehend that.

Now you know how your grandparents felt.

Midweek Randomness

Fact: I've been on a turkey pastrami lunch meat kick lately.  Another fact: Target has the best turkey pastrami lunch meat I've ever had.  The first place I found Target brand turkey pastrami was at a Super Target.  The closest Super Target is about a half hour drive.

I'm not sure if a regular Target carries lunch meat in their little fresh grocery section.  Even so, the closest regular Target is about 20 minutes away.  Do you realize how many grocery stores I would pass going to either Target?  Let me give you a hint: I pass three just on my way home from work, and that's a 15 minute commute.

I'm not sure if I can justify a special trip to Target just for lunch meat.  But it's really, REALLY good lunch meat.  Conundrum.

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I mentioned that it took me two hours to get my hair done for the wedding, but I forgot to mention that there were 80 bobby pins keeping that whole thing up.  You don't have to go back and reread that, you saw it correctly.  Eighty. Bobby. Pins.

Do you know anyone in need of some slightly used bobby pins?  Have I got a deal for you.

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One of my biggest worries right before the wedding was that I was going to stress myself out so much I was going to give myself a breakout.  A big, old zit right in the middle of my face.  Wouldn't that just make for a beautiful wedding picture?

Thankfully, my skin behaved itself.  However, three weeks after the fact?  Helloooo, breakout city!

I swear, I will never be able to figure out my skin.

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Look!  I grew a cucumber!  I don't care what you say, it's the best looking and best tasting cucumber on the planet.

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Changing my last name

Last week, I started the process of getting my last name changed.

Before I get to that, can I just say that we, as women, get the short end of the stick with this whole marriage thing?  Men don't have to worry or stress about the details of planning the wedding, and they don't have to jump through a million hoops after the wedding to change their name.  Not. Fair.

Anyway, yeah, I'm trying to change my last name.  I consulted the all-knowing Google to see what would be my best plan of action.  Mr. Google recommended that I change my social security card first, then my driver license, then from there I can do bank accounts, credit cards, car registration and insurance, etc, etc, etc.

With that plan in mind, I bounced over to the social security website to see what hoops I would need to jump through for them.

Now, here's the thing.  I wasn't expecting this to be easy.  I realize that it needs to be rather difficult to change your last name because if it was easy, every criminal in the country would be changing their name every other week.

The social security website said I needed to bring my old social security card, birth certificate, driver license, marriage certificate, and a completed application that they so helpfully provided.  No problem.  So, I round up all those papers, and off I go to sit and wait in the social security office.

And sit.

And wait.

And sit.

And wait.

Finally, my number gets called.  I head back to the window for the lady who's going to help me and told her I just got married and needed to change my last name on my social security card, and I hand her my old card.  She says, "I don't need that."  OK.  So, I hand her my birth certificate.  She says, "I don't need that."

Holy Moses.

At this point, I just hand her all my paperwork and decide that she can figure out what she needs and doesn't need.

She sorts through everything, does some typing, and then says, "Here's all your paperwork back and here's a receipt.  Your new card should arrive in the mail within 2 weeks."

Really?  That's it?  No vial of blood?  No promise of first born child?  All I get is a little piece of paper that says my new card is coming?  I don't even get my new card?

Now, I get to sit and wait for my new card.  And sit.  And wait.  So that I can eventually go to the DMV to sit.  And wait.

Bright side?  I'm learning a great deal about patience from this whole endeavor.